LESSON 2.3 What is meant by Country and creation?
LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to: • explain the purpose of the creation stories to the Deep Time history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples • explain relationship and connection to Country.
Tune in Rock art holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. It serves as an important record of knowledge, traditions and connections to Country. Archaeological studies have provided evidence of the long history of Aboriginal Peoples in Australia, with some rock art dating back at least 43 000 years, reflecting the enduring presence and continuity of these cultures. SOURCE1 shows the Wandjina, a very important ancestral spirit for the Wunumbal, Ngarinyin and Worora Peoples of the Kimberley region. The Wandjina came from the sky and gave people the knowledge of how to care for Country.
SOURCE1 Wandjina rock art painted on the wall in Kimberley. The Wandjina are ancestral beings of the Kimberley region. They are the bringers of rain, and control the weather and fertility.
1. Look closely at the faces of the Wandjina: large round eyes and no mouth. The halo around their heads is believed to represent clouds and rain. Why do you think this ancestral spirit would have been painted in this way? 2. Why do you think the Wandjina were carved and painted onto the rock of cave walls and cliff faces?
2.3.1 Explaining creation — spiritual beliefs As people lived in different parts of Australia, they developed diverse spiritual beliefs, traditions and languages, reflecting their deep connection to the land and sea. Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have distinct spiritual traditions that guide their ways of life and connection to Country andPlace.
24 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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